Toyota to shake things up in U.S.

With Toyota expected to report a $3.5 billion loss for the fiscal year ending March 31, the automaker is going to revamp its U.S. operations by June, the Detroit News reports.

This could involve establishing an executive in the U.S. that has overarching power, the article says. The discussions came about because of the auto industry’s slowdown, which led to Toyota’s first loss in nearly 60 years.

There aren’t any specific changes laid out, but the article does point the finger at San Antonio’s Tundra plant, saying that “Toyota’s ill-timed assault on the U.S. full-size pickup segment, including the construction of a plant in Texas dedicated to building trucks only, has been very costly. . . . Its disappointing launch strained relations between U.S.-based managers and executives in Toyota City who were reluctant to make such a big pickup.”